Applying Eucalyptus Oil & Salt Was A Part Of Playing Ghost: Vishakha Singh

Actress Vishakha Singh, who plays a ghost in a forthcoming Tamil horror-thriller, describes it as the most exciting role of her career. She says it was emotionally as well physically taxing to essay the character.

"I don't think this is my most challenging role. I had done a very emotionally challenging role of a freedom fighter in 2010 Hindi film 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey'. I think the role in this new film has to be the most exciting till date," Vishakha told IANS.

On The Run

"To add to the tough schedule, I was constantly running or chasing. I was constantly screaming or crying in the shots. So yes, physically and emotionally it became very, very taxing," Vishakha added.

Why Eucalyptus Oil

"Each day, the entire unit in the morning would apply a lot of ointments to prevent leech bites. However, everybody was bitten except me because my assistant used to give me eucalyptus oil to apply on my legs and hands first."

On Rubbing Salt

"I used to apply salt on my skin to keep the leeches away. Lastly, when I would get into my costumes, we used to use Hit spray on my clothes to keep insects away," she said.

Withdrawal Symptoms

"I did have withdrawal symptoms after the shoot. I was genuinely missing the fresh air and the natural beauty of Kerala. However, when I came back home to Mumbai I began to appreciate all the comforts," she said.

Not Scared Anymore?

Post shooting for the film, Vishakha has said, she is not scared of horror movies anymore. This is the first time the Kanna Laddu Thinna Aasaiya actress has shot for a horror film.

Upcoming Films

The actress is yet to sign on the dotted lines for a new project. She currently awaits the release of Bayam Oru Payanam, which is scheduled to hit the screen soon.

When asked what makes the role of a ghost so exciting, she said: "For once, I did not have to look pretty. I didn't have to worry about my hairstyle or my clothes or the make-up. I didn't have to be all cute and try to be bubbly."

"I just had to explore another side of my personality. I have never scared anybody, I have never yelled at anybody, screamed at anybody. So, I decided to accept the challenge. It was fabulous to not play the damsel in distress."

The film, which is directed by Mani Sharma, also stars Bharath Reddy and Meenakshi Dixit in the lead.

Recalling how emotionally and physically taxing it was to play a ghost, she said: "We were shooting in jungles of Kerala, in the cold, mostly during night shifts. We were shooting for 19 hours a day, sometimes even 21 hours a day and we were shooting back-to-back," she said.